marble



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. J. E. MARBLE.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

No. 592,523. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

- WITIVESSES: I V Z? (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. E. MARBLE. TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

Patented Oct. 26,1897.

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WITNESSES.-

VEAITOR ATTORNEY-5,

t'rnn STATES ATENT Prion.

JAMES E. MARBLE, OF ALBANY,NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EDWVARD G. COX, OF SAME PLACE.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,523, dated October 26, 1897.

Application filed June 20,1896.

Serial No. 596,337. (IT0 model.)

To (LZZ whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. MARBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of stance, the pipes for conveying steam and compressed air to the several cars. In trainpipe couplings of this general character it is desirable (in order to economize space and material and to obtain a compact and satisfactory structure) to bring the ports close together and preferably in vertical series one above the other. This arrangement involves, of course, the near proximity of the steam port or passage in the coupler-head to the adjacent air ports or passagesthereof and is attended with the disadvantage thatthe heat transmitted by conduction through the body of the coupler-head from the steam-port tends to vulcanize the composition nipples projecting from the air-ports, thereby hardeningsaid nipples, causing them to contract and tolose their elasticity, and consequently diminishing and ultimately destroying their capacity to form air-tight joints.

My invention is designed to correct this objectionable feature by interposing between the steam-port and the adjacent air-port a channel for the freepassage of a body of air, which shall serve to keep the temperature of the walls of the air-ports below that of vulcanization.

In the preferred form of my invention I carry the channel or passage referred to completely through the coupler-head from the front to and through the rear wall thereofand cause it to widen out rearwardly, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Another feature of my invention is to pro vide against the tilting of one coupler-head with respect to the other after the coupling has been effected, and thus to guard against leakage at the joints of the steam and air ports. To this end I provide a tongue of each coupler-head with a longitudinal side projection adapted to fit into an interlocking recess of the other coupling-head in such manner as to prevent any independent tilting of either coupler-head in a vertical plane. The recess referred to is preferably formed within an inner tongue forming a part of the wall of the central fluid-passages of the coupler and which hasan inwardly-inclined guiding-surface, and the side projection mentioned may extend rearwardly to the base of the tongue of whichit forms a part, so as to constitute a strengthening-rib therefor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents,partly in section and partly in elevation, two coupler-heads coupled together in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 representsa central sectional view of one of the coupler-heads on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of one of the coupler-heads, and Fig. 4 represents a rear elevation thereof,

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The coupling members on adjacent cars are designed to be homologous counterparts of each other and are suspended from the cartruck frame in like manner. Each comprises a coupling-head A, provided with passages with which the steam and air pipes register, a protecting tube or casing B, and a universal joint between the truck-frame and the tube at the rearend of the latter, one form of which joint is exhibited, for instance, in my United States Patent No. 491,291, and another in my application for United States Patent, Serial No. 549,421, filed May 15, 1895.

In the embodiment of my inventionillustrated in the drawings I have shown the same as applicable to a train-pipe system having a steam-conduit, an air-signaling conduit, and an air-brake conduit, for which purpose I arrange the corresponding coupling-pipes in such manner that the steam-pipe 6 shall occupy the lowest position within the tube B and shall be connected to the lowermost passage 0, while the air-brake pipe 6 and signalpipe e are respectively connected to the passages c and 0 above.

As in my application above referred to, the coupler-head is of general rectangular shape, and at its outer end is provided with outlying tongues or tenons G G separated from the walls of the central passages by intervening mortises for the reception of the corresponding tongues of the conjoining couplerhead. A third tongue G, forming a part of one of the walls of the central fluid-passages and inwardly inclined upon its outer surface, forms with the outwardly-inclined tongues G ,a flaring guide-opening to direct the tongue G of the conjoining head into the space between them. In order n'owto prevent any tilting of the one coupler-head upon the other after the coupling has been effected, I provide one of the tongues G2 of each coupler-head with a longitudinal side projection 11, adapted to engage a corresponding interlocking longitudinal groove or recess 1;, made in the other coupler-head. This groove or recess is preferably made along the surface of the third tongue G and at the middle part thereof, and by reason of engagement with the projection v locks the heads against all possible tilting individually upon one another. It will be noted that the forward end of the projection 12 .is tapered, so as to enable it to enter the recess without binding. Moreover, as indicated in dotted lines, it may be continued rearwardly to form a continuous bracing-rib fo the tongue. I

For the steam-passage c I employ the same form of joint described in my aforesaid patent application and consisting of a bushing 72', screwed into the outer end of the steampassage and provided with a retaining-shoulder n Within this bushing, which is made of brass or other practically non-corrodible material, is fitted a hollow non-corrodible nipple n3, having a shoulder adapted to bear against the shoulder n Upon the screwthreaded end of the nipple n is screwed an annular washer 01 of a material sufficiently flexible to make a tight butt-joint. This annular washer is surfaced with a protectingring 12 of non-corrodible material, separate from the washer W, or within which the com- I prefer to limit its employment to the steamport and to employ for the air ports or passages the more simple and cheaper construction illustrated more fully in Figs. 1 and 2.

The air-ports are accordingly provided with washers w, located within the bushings w and having shoulders 10 which are adapted to engage with shoulders 20 of the bushings, or preferably a metallic cap 20 flanged at its base, fits over the annular washer to, so as to reduce the friction when the washer moves backward or forward. At the base of the washer to is located an expander w of metal, seated upon the. spiral spring to". In order now to prevent the vulcanization of the annular washers w by the heat of the steampipe, I core out the casting in such manner as to interpose a space 2 between the steampassage and air-passages and utilize such space for the free circulation of a body of air. The space 2' is preferably carried entirely through the coupler-head from front to rear .thereof and widens out rearwardly, so as to the more effectually subserve its useful function. It interrupts to a very large extent the conduction of heat from the steam-passage to the air-passages and keeps the washers M at a temperature below vulcanizatiomso that they retain their effective elasticity even after long-continued use. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A coupler-head for train-pipes, consisting of a casting having ports or channels connected to the air and steam pipes respectively, said casting being cored out between the steam-port and the adjacent air-port to form a way having an inlet and a separate outlet so as to provide for the free circulation of a current of air through the casting and between the two ports; substantially as described.

2. A coupler-head for train-pipes, consisting of a casting having ports or channels connected to air and steam pipes respectively, said casting being cored out between the steam-port and the adjacent air-port to form a throughway extending from the front wall of the coupler-head entirely through the rear Wall thereof; substantially as,.desc1'ibed.

3. A coupler-head for train-pipes, consisting of a casting having ports or channels connected to air and steam pipes respectively, said casting being cored out between the steam-port and the adjacent air-port to form a throughway extending from the front Wall of the coupler-head entirely through the rear wall thereof, and widening out from front to rear; substantially as described.

4. A coupling for train-pipes, consisting of duplicate coupler-heads each provided with central fluid-passages and outlying tongues separated from the Walls of the central fluidpassages by intervening mortises, said coupler-heads being provided with interlocking supplemental longitudinal recesses and projections for preventing the one coupler-head from tilting with respect to the other after their engagement; substantially as described.

5. A coupling for train-pipes, consisting of duplicate coupler-heads each provided with central fluid-passages and outlying tongues separated from the walls of the central fluidpassages by intervening mortises, one tongue of each of said heads being provided with a supplemental longitudinal side projection,

IIO

engaging an interlocking longitudinal recess of the other coupler-head; substantially as described.

6. Acoupler-head for train-pipes provided with central fluid-passages, outlying tongues, and a third tongue forming a part of the Wall of the central fluid-passages, said third tongue and one of the outlying tongues having respectively a longitudinal side projection and a corresponding recess, whereby after coupling the coupler-head is prevented from tilting with respect to the cooperating couplerhead; substantially as described.

7. A coupler-head having central fluid-passages and outlying tongues, one of which is straight and the other inclined outwardly and both of which are separated from the Walls of the central fluid-passages by intervening mortises, and a third tongue forming a part of one of said Walls, and having an inwardlyinclined face,said third tongue being provided with a longitudinal recess, and the straight tongue being provided with a corresponding longitudinal side projection, whereby corresponding coupler-heads are adapted to interlock and are held against tilting by means of said recesses and side projections; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES E. MARBLE. WVitnesses:

WM. 0. GORDON, NATHANIEL NILES. 

